Improvement in potato-diggees



ffy/Zwaag NAFETEHS, PHQTO-UTHOGRAFMER. WASHINGTON D C @eine faire getint @ffice ALVAH GRAVES, or MARCELLUS FALLS, NEWYQRK.

IllIPROVELllEll'I IN POTATD-DIGGBB-S.

@la .Stimuli referat tu in tlgest tittit tant mit dating parini tige time. l

TO ALL WHOM ITMAY CONGERN: i vvBe it known that I, ALVAI GRAVES, of-Marcellus Falls, in the county of Onondaga, and State ofNew d York, have invented a'n'ew and useful Improvement in Potatolligg'ers; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a. full, clear, and exactdescription thereof', whichuvill enable those skilled in the art Ato make and use'the Same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification,- in Which-f v '4 Figurel-is a lougitudinallseotion taken in the line :n a: in iig. 2. l. l

Figure 2 is allorizo'ntal sectionk taken in the liney yin iig. 1. Figure Slis across-section taken in the line e e, tig. 2. l l Similar letters of refernce'indicate like parts inv all tlie figures. i In the accompanying drawings, A is a shovel-plough, which is tted textile beau] F by a standard, B. 'To the rear end Aof thefshovel is pivoted a riddle` or screen, C, by meansfof pivots and ears, a a, tig. 3. D is a toothed wheel, which is pivoted to the under rear sidezof the shovel Arby means oi' straps dd, (tige. l and 3.) The forward part of the riddle has an archingover or-roof',-c, to prevent dirt from falling upon 'the wheel D, and this coverA oeoupiesthe. ,At-shaped` space e, below'the fstandard'B. lA 'portion of the weight of the digger is 4supported by the serrated wheel D, and as the implement is dro-wn forward the teeth enter the'ground, and cause .the wheel to rotate, While'the'teeth on its upper side toss or actua-te the riddle C, by eenling in Contact with a small projeotingpieoe,jf,v of the riddle. And in this manner, as the wheel -D is rotated, the teeth are constzin'tly coming incontact with the projection f, and act as earns to toss the riddle C. As the digger is drawn for-ward.,- the dirt' and potatoes run up the shovel, and over its rear end, on to. the riddle, where the dirtis separated from the potatoes, and-falls througli the riddle, while the potatoes pass oli` of its rear end, and are left on the surface i ofthe ground. The standard B may be forked, and one leg secured to each sido ot' the shovel, instead Qi' connesting with the shovel at its centre, as shorm, so as tool'er less obstruction for vines, tbc., passing over the shovel. But with the standardgin the centre, a larger wheel, D, can be used, as advantage is taken of the hollow space e below the standard. The sides-ot' the shovel are extended tn the rear, and the lower edges of these i'des are provided with a series of fingers, ct a, which prevent the unriddled dirt and. potatoes from falling o' at the sides of the riddle. vBy this means I obtain a very simple and inexpensive implement.

Having4 thus described my invention,what I claimdas new, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, isl. I claim the serrated wheel-D2 when so constructed with relation to the riddle C, that the lower portions of its teeth engage with the ground, to propelI the wheel, wule the upper portions engage in' tossing the riddle, substantially in the manner and for tbc purpose sc t forth.

2. I 'claim the shovel-plough-A a B F, hinged riddle C c, and serrated I4wheel D, all constructed, combined, and operating in themanner shown and for the purpose described. l

The above specification of my invention -signed by me, this 2d day ot' November, 1857.

f Lynn GRAVES.

Witnesses:

C. E. Wasser., F. A. Monter. 

